


Always There

by eleventyseven



Category: Marvel (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Basically how their relationship started after CW, F/M, Romance, This is mostly Wanda/Vision the rest of the characters will be minimal, between civil war and infinity war
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:07:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23695171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eleventyseven/pseuds/eleventyseven
Summary: What happened in the two years between Civil War and Infinity War to bring Wanda and Vision so much closer together.
Relationships: Tony Stark & Vision, Vison & James ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes, Wanda Maximoff & Natasha Romanov, Wanda Maximoff & Sam Wilson, Wanda Maximoff & Steve Rogers, Wanda Maximoff/Vision
Comments: 30
Kudos: 30





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wanda gets a surprise visitor.

If she didn’t think about the fact that she was a fugitive on the run, her current hideout in the north of France was quite enjoyable. It was quiet here, and miles away from any city or village. It lacked some more modern amenities, like a washing machine, but that just gave her more things to fill up her day with. 

She liked the mindless tasks; washing laundry by hand, weeding the garden, cooking simple meals. It was enough to get her mind off of everything, but not enough to make her overwhelmed. 

But the loneliness... was a whole other issue. 

Wanda had, on a few occasions in the three months since being on the run, hidden with other people. The first fortnight on the run, the five of them were in Wakanda. After that, it was mainly solitary. A week with Nat in Galway, Two with Steve in Berlin, but mostly she was all alone. It was safer that way, she knew it. 

But the logic didn’t make it hurt any less. She tried to find more things to pass the time—like reading—but all the books here were in French. Her vocabulary in the language was limited to greetings and simple questions, like directions.

Wanda felt as if she was filled with pent up energy, but it had nowhere to go. She didn’t even leave the house; groceries were delivered once a week. 

Today was the day, she decided, once she had cleaned up her room and heated up some leftover pasta on the stove. She was going to go somewhere, she just had to. 

She glanced down at her watch, fully aware that one of her team members might try to contact her. Bu she needed just a few minutes alone.

Without another thought Wanda undid the strap of the watch and laid it on the table, picking up her cardigan from a nearby chair and slipping it on. 

She opened the door and glanced around. As she suspected, there didn’t seem to be a soul for miles. It was all field and trees. If they were smart about it, she could probably stay here for a very long time and not be noticed. 

She stepped out and closed the door behind her, taking a deep breath. The fresh countryside air and the sun on her skin felt like it was giving her new life. 

Wanda walked around the small cottage to the back, glancing at the garden and the fruit trees. The serenity of nature was not lost on her. 

She began walking, and realized that if she were ever given a choice, she would want a place like this, far away from any city. She’d grown up in a small apartment, and while it was full of love because of her family, she’d always wanted more space. 

Now, she wasn’t sure why she still wanted it if there was no one to share it with. All this space and she was still devastatingly alone. 

Before she knew it, she’d probably walked half a mile and reached the tree line. While she was there, she noticed a small creek, and the sound of the water flowing and watching a little frog on a rock made the ghost of a smile appear on her face, only for a moment. 

Wanda didn’t have many reasons to smile anymore. She struggled to find them. 

With a sigh, she sat on the ground, her hands spreading out to feel the grass beneath her fingertips. It helped her stay grounded, or at least that’s what she told herself.

In all honesty, it made her want to do nothing more than use her powers. Even if it was just to move around a few rocks. 

When she’d first gotten these powers, she viewed them as a curse. She still thought they were sometimes. But regardless, they were a part of her, and Wanda was learning to love all parts of herself—including the chaos energy that flowed inside of her.

But out of an abundance of caution, Natasha had advised her to only use her powers in absolute emergencies. Tony might be able to pinpoint her location because a satellite could pick up her energy signature... And she wasn’t ready to relocate. Not yet.

She’d run her whole life. She was always on the move, from a young age, and for a time she thought she’d finally found a safe place where she could just... Rest.

She laid back with a groan, trying to push away the ‘what-ifs’. They were, perhaps, the only thing worse than the loneliness. 

What if she had never screwed up in Lagos? 

What if she had sided with Tony and signed the Sokovia Accords? What would she be doing now? And who would she be with?

Wanda brought one hand up to her face to block the sun from her eyes. She didn’t need that last question answered. She already knew who it was.

Yes another thing that she’d lost in the course of her short life.

-

The walk back home was quicker than she expected, but she paused when she was the front door was already open. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, and Wanda tensed up and raised one hand, fight or flight beginning to kick in.

No one lived within miles. Grocery delivery wasn’t for another four days. And her door... was open because she’d left it unlocked. Idiot!, she thought to herself.

She stepped inside slowly, mentally preparing for an attack. No matter who it was, she could likely take them.

If only she had her watch, she could sound off the alarm and have help within minutes. But she’d left it on the kitchen counter. Luckily, it did require a thumbprint to be unlocked.

Her footsteps were nearly silent as she made her way into the kitchen. She didn’t see anyone yet, but she could feel someone’s energy. She didn’t linger on it too long, though, lest they realize she was here.

Wanda walked through the kitchen, and turned a corner into the living room. She immediately saw the figure of a man, and it made her freeze in place.

His back was to her, observing the shelves. He was tall, certainly over 6 ft, and blonde. There was something familiar about his posture, though...

But there wasn’t enough time to think on it, she had to act now. She moved her fingers expertly and noticed the man tense up. Within a split second she’d thrown a ball of bright red energy across the room towards him.

His form, mysteriously enough, faded until it was barely visible, and the energy hit the wall, shattering a window and throwing glass everywhere. He became fully visible within seconds and then turned around and looked at her.

Wanda cautiously held one hand up, showing the red energy dancing gracefully around her fingers. It was slowing, though, as her eyes connected with the man’s.

She knew those eyes. They visited her nearly every night, in her dreams.

In less than a millisecond his pale skin was changing to a beautiful purple-ish red, and coat changed into a familiar suit and cape.

“Vision?” Wanda asked, her hand dropping to her side. She could never hurt him—not again.

He stared at her for a second, surprised but the use of his full name. He’d grown rather accustomed to her referring to him by a nickname... And then he’d gotten used to not speaking to her at all.

“Wanda,” He replied, and noted that there was an emotion sweeping over him that he’d never felt before. He took note of the feelings; longing, sadness, wistfulness—and determined that the feeling nearly overwhelming him was nostalgia.

It made perfect sense. In their time together at the Avengers Compund, Wanda had become a close personal friend of his. She was the only one who never made him feel less than, even by accident. And towards the end of her tenure there, a few more complicated feelings had popped up. But they hadn’t had the time to address them.

“What-What are you doing here?” She asked. So many emotions were coursing through her at once, Wanda felt as if she were about to explode. She was overjoyed to see him, of course, but also incredibly sad at the way they’d left things. Despite their mutual apologies, there was still so much left unsaid.

“Are you here to arrest me?” Wanda added. She knew it was unlikely, but still... She didn’t know how he’d been faring after the accident with Rhodes. She wondered if he blamed her.

“Tony has a satellite dedicated to finding anyone who sided with Captain Rogers. Over the past couple months, only every once in a while, it would show a powerful energy signature...” Vision said, clasping his hands behind his back before continuing, “It did not take me long to conclude it was yours.”

Wanda’s eyes widened, and realized with a start that it must have been her nighmares. She had endangered the whole team because she couldn’t get a grip.

“Did anyone else notice?” She asked carefully.

“No,” He said, and he could see some tension leave her shoulders. She still was standing somewhat defensively, and while he’d previously found her fighting stance to be attractive, knowing now that it was because of him caused displeasure.

“I still remember some of J.A.R.V.I.S’s old coding and commands...” He started slowly, geasturing to his head, “Mr. Stark would frequently get Jarvis to control the satellites to search for certain things, or to filter out certain things.”

“You made the satellite block out my energy signature?” She asked, her voice shaking slightly at the beginning but steady by the end. Of course he had. Even when she’d thrown him through ten floors, he was still more kind than anyone she’d ever known.

“I did...” He said thoughtfully, “I would still avoid using your powers, however, since someone may see you.”

She nodded, and silence fell over the room. 

Vision looked over her slowly, and his interface told him that she was slightly sleep-deprived, and coming down from an adrenaline rush. More leftover functions from J.A.R.V.I.S. But she still looked mostly like he remembered, except her hair was a shade of orange that reminded him of the sunset.

To anyone else, Vision probably looked exactly the same as always. But Wanda could see that his eyes were more haunted and storied than they’d been just a few months ago. She hoped, however, that not much else had changed about him.

“Thank you,” She said suddenly, her eyes raising from the floor to meet his again.

“You’re welcome, Wanda,” He said, and a small, polite smile came onto his face for just a moment.

So many things ran through her head. Why would he do that for her? And why was he here now? She’d been working on accepting the fact that all the things she wanted to tell him would be left unsaid forever, but now they all wanted to come bursting out of her.

“Do you want tea?” She asked suddenly, a minuscule smile coming onto her face. The first one in a long time.

-

Tea was a tradition they’d accidentally come up with while living in the compound together. Whenever she couldn’t sleep—which was frequently—Wanda would find her way down to the kitchen and make tea. Vision did not need sleep as humans did, although he sometimes shut down for a few hours to rest, or update.

So they’d frequently meet up in the kitchen, unsure of each other at first but slowly warming up over time. And eventually Wanda began to make him tea, too. It felt impolite not too. While he was capable of eating and drinking, he usually justheld the cup, silently touched by the gesture.

And now, although the tradition was the same, circumstances were so different. She put the water to boil and set aside two cups. This cottage came with an actual full set of tea cups, which she adored. She then moved over to the small kitchen table, where Vision was already sitting.

He was sitting with his back straight, and his hands folded over one another on the table. It made his already broad shoulders stand out even more, and she averted her eyes, sitting across from him.

“It’s nice to see you, Vizh,” Wanda said honestly. She could at least allow herself this small happiness, right? And damn the consequences it would cause later.

He looked at her, and she felt like if they kept eye contact for much longer she might forget how to breathe. 

“Have you been well?” Vision asked. The question was loaded with many others, but he decided a simple one was best. To be honest, he still wasn’t sure what his purpose was, being here. It was one of the few times in his life that he’d acted entirely off of instinct, without overthinking it and considering every outcome.

Wanda reached forward and grabbed her watch off of the middle of the table, glancing at it for messages and then putting it back on when she didn’t see any. She was stalling answering his question. 

“It’s been okay,” She answered lightly, “There isn’t much to do here, but... It’s okay.”

Vision’s remnants of JARVIS told him that her swear production increased slightly with that answer, and that her left eyebrow had twitched. There was a 97.8% chance she was lying. She did not think it was okay, then.

Normally he would casually call her out on it—while he was familiar with social norms, he never saw a reason for dishonesty... until recently, when he himself had lied about the energy signatures to protect her. And then again when he said he was simply going to fly around, whenever he actually came here. 

“I am pleased to hear that,” He said and she gave him a small half-smile. She missed the way he spoke. If anyone else spoke so formally it would bother her, but it was entirely natural and casual on him. 

“What about you? How have you been?” Wanda asked. 

For the first time, Vision found himself at a complete loss for words. He saw no reason to lie to her, but he also did not fully understand how he had been feeling himself. 

“It has been complicated at the compound,” He said, not directly answering the question, “I’ve been trying my best to assist Colenel Rhodes with his recovery, and—“

Wanda interupted him gently, “I didn’t ask about the compund, Vizh.”

Vision paused, pressing his lips together. Yes, of course she would press him further. She’d never been the type to mince her words. 

He looked past her, out the window, taking in the beautiful fields. So much beauty in the world, and he had barely seen any of it. 

It was a frequent internal fight within himself—how much free will did he deserve as a hero? And as an.... android? Was his purpose purely to save others and be an Avenger, or could he have a life outside of that?

“I...” He struggled with putting his thoughts into words. In his free time, he thought, he should take the time to read poetry. While he was articulate, his speech was not as meaningful as he would’ve liked it to be, “I find myself feeling out of place there.”

Wanda fiddled with her watch, sympathy rising up within her. She had seen firsthand how he sometimes struggled to acclimate. The other Avengers has always accepted him, of course, but a lot of them still had trouble seeing him as someone who was equal to the rest of him.

She’d never struggled to see that. Vision had always been more man than machine, just as flawed as anyone else. The accident with Rhodey was enough to prove that—although that was no fault of Vision’s.

“You shouldn’t. You deserve a place there just as much as anyone else,” She said. Her voice was strong, laced with emotion. It was a hill that she was willing to die on, even if no one else was.

He raised one hand and waved it off, “No one ever does anything, it’s just me being unsure of my purpose sometimes.”

Vision also didn’t feel like debating the semantics of whether or not he deserved as much as a human did. While he wanted all the same rights and freedoms and abilities, he understood the general public’s caution with him, as well as how complicated the issue was. He didn’t feel human, because he wasn’t, but he was... close.

Wanda had always been one to see things more black and white than he did. It was something that he had always found curious about her.

She glanced down for a second and sighed. She didn’t want to push the issue—it wasn’t her fight, was it? She reached forward and placed a hand on his, her fingers looking almost comically small and nimble next to his large hands.

“I just wish everyone could see you as I do,” She said, echoing his same sentiment from just a few months earlier.

He glanced down at her hand, his skin feeling warmer where she touched him. Vision looked up at her, and was about to speak, feeling as if he needed to say something, but what?

He never got the chance, for the kettle began whistling and Wanda got up, heading towards it. His hand felt cold where she had been touching it moments ago despite his carefully regulated body temperature.

Wanda carefully grabbed the kettle and began finishing the tea. Both cups were steaming and the scent of chamomille made her feel comforted. This was all very familiar. He was very familiar.

She heard the sound of a chair moving on the floor and glanced behind her where Vision had stood.

“I’m sorry, but I really should be leaving. I didn’t prepare to be gone long,” He said apologetically, and suddenly wished that he had come up with a better excuse for his temporary absence.

“Oh,” The disappointment in her voice was palpable, and he immediately felt guilty.

She put the kettle down and turned to him, unsure of how to properly say goodbye. Her fingers were clasped together in front of her, and she took a few steps forward. He remained still as she approach and him.

Wanda looked up at him, and wrapped her arms around Vision tightly. It was the first time she’d hugged someone in quite a while, and the fact that it was him made it even better.

He froze for a moment, and then raised his arms, hugging her back. It was not the first time they’d hugged, but this felt different.

After a few moments she pulled away, placing a hand on his cheek. Her fingers lingered on his cheekbone, and then slowly fell to his jaw.

“It was good to see you, Vizh,” Wanda said. 

He felt breathless, which was amusing considering the fact that he did not require oxygen to survive. Vision was completely captivated by her, his eyes searching his face and trying to log every detail into his amygdala so it would never be forgotten.

She stepped away, and he let him arms fall to his side, trying to find a word for the emotion running through him and making him feel electrified—at least, more than usual. It felt like all his circuits were firing at once.

“And you as well, Wanda,” He said, moving towards the door. He paused for a second and looked at her, just wanting a savor the moment.

“If you ever want to visit again...” Wanda trailed off. She knew how dangerous it was, but she couldn’t help herself. She would risk everything to see him, “You know where I’ll be.”

He nodded, his face unreadable to her. Without another word his normal skin and clothing changed into the same disguise he’d arrived in, and he flew off into the air.

It was only once he was up there that he found a name for the emotion she made him feel. It was complete and utter adoration.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An argument ensues, and Vision makes a friend.

Six days later, Wanda was speaking into her watch, thankful to hear from someone else.

“I’ll be in a whole new country in just a few hours,” Natasha’s voice rang out from the watch in the otherwise silent house.

“Where are you going?” Wanda asked, and she heard her teammate sigh over the phone.

“You know I can’t tell you that,” She said, slightly scolding. 

“Oh, right,” She replied, rolling her eyes. In truth, though, she did understand it. In case anyone was captured, they generally weren’t allow to know where each member of the team was hiding out.

Except for Natasha, who facilitated all the the hideouts. Years of being a spy had rendered torture to not much of a threat to her, at least not in comparison to her other teammates.

“You know I’m in France, though,” Wanda pointed out.

“Yeah, and no one else does, do they?” Natasha asked rhetorically. At first Wanda tensed up, but then she realized that Nat was referring to Steve and Sam.

“Yeah, true,” She said, trying to sound as casual as possible.

Wanda heard a noise outside, and stood up, moving to look out her kitchen window. She was overjoyed to see that it was Vision. Once he was steady on his feet, he felt her eyes on him and glanced at the window, catching her eye.

She was growing fond of the disguise. Nothing was better than his actual skin and face, but the pale skin and blonde hair made him look like a handsome teacher that Wanda would’ve fancied in secondary school.

When she noticed him, her lips rose into a beaming smile, and he couldn’t help but smile back. Her excitement was contagious. Wanda gestured to her lips with her pointer finger, motioning silence, and then pointed to her front door.

“You know, you should start packing your things,” Natasha said. Wanda paused, Vision suddenly leaving her mind. The front door opened quietly, and he walked in, closing it carefully.

“Why?” Wanda asked.

“You’ve already been there for almost three weeks. It’s too long,” Natasha said. Vision looked surprised at the sound of her voice.

“I like it here, Nat, and there’s no one around, ever,” Wanda’s voice took on a pleading tone, “Just a bit longer?”

There was a moment of silence, and Wanda glanced at Vision, wondering if he would still travel to see her if she was in a different place. 

“You can stay until the end of the month. But no longer. I’m working on your next accommodations,” Natasha said, and Wanda took that as a victory.

“Any idea where I’ll be going next?” She asked.

“Probably somewhere in Scandanavia,” Natasha said evasively, “Listen, kid, I gotta go, but... Keep yourself safe, okay?”

“I will,” Wanda confirmed. She tapped her watch to end the call, and once it was over, she looked at her friend, a smile coming onto her face again.

“How often do you relocate?” Vision asked. The question made her slightly uncomfortable, but she knew that he would never betray her trust.

“Too often. Usually somewhere between a week and a month. This place is the longest I’ve stayed somewhere since, well... the compound,” She said, looking away.

She wasn’t sure if she should elaborate, or even if she wanted to, so she paused, looking back at him. 

Wanda had thought a lot about him in the past few days—she’d found that he was almost always at the forefront of her mind and thoughts. It made her question whether she really made the right choice. In her heart, she knew she did. She just wished that they would’ve found themselves on the same side.

“You want stability,” Vision said. She was unsure whether it was a statement or a question, so she just nodded. He could read her so well, it made her feel vulnerable. No one had been able to read her that well since Pietro.

“I miss having a home,” Wanda said, “I thought I’d found one, but...” She shrugged.

“I find that it’s not the same there without you,” Vision said truthfully. Before the Avengers split, he had gotten used to everyone being around. He liked watching movies with everyone, playing chess with Wanda, attempting to help her cook, having tea with her while they chatted late at night...

He realized with a start that almost all of his fondest memories had included her. He supposed that he had known before, but to see it all laid out in his mind was startling.

“Vizh?” She asked, noticing the anxious look on his face. Although she’d always been able to read him better than others, his emotions were much more obvious with his human disguise.

“Sorry, I just found myself lost in thought,” He said apologetically, bowing his head for a second. 

She shook her head, “It’s alright.”

They were left in silence, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It never was with him.

“How long do I have you for?” Wanda asked. She could admit to herself that she wanted him for as long as possible. He was like a beam of light to her.

“Until tonight, so approximately six hours and 23 minutes,” Vision said. 

Her disappointment was obvious on her face, and she couldn’t help but say, “That’s it?”

He was surprised at the notion that she would want him around longer. He knew she enjoyed his company, but he wasn’t fully aware just how much.

“Yes, well... I’ve been telling Mr. Stark that I find my curiosity of the world growing, so I’m hoping that with time, he will allow me to be away for longer and longer periods of time,” He said amicably.

“Allow you?” Wanda said, narrowing her eyes, “He doesn’t need to allow anything. you have free will.”

Wanda’s dislike for Tony had lightened somewhat in the time that she lived at the Avengers Compound, but it had come back after he split up the Avengers. He always acted as if he were the boss, when in reality everyone had always looked to Steve for guidance. It wasn’t Tony’s place to let his guilt hinder everyone else’s freedoms.

“Me choosing to go out for even a walk isn’t as simple as just doing it. I am, not technically, an American citizen. I am considered a weapon to General Ross, and a lot of other government officials... Mr. Stark is working on getting me some form of government identification, though,” Vision explained.

“You are a citizen. You were born there,” She said plainly. Wanda could see him getting ready to protest, so she put a hand on his chest, “It doesn’t matter that you’re not technically human. You breathe just as I do, and your thoughts are just as complex—more so—than humans.”

Vision paused, glancing down at her hand on his chest. He was still in his disguise, but he could feel it just as much as he normally would be able to. It wasn’t often that people touched him—perhaps a hand on the shoulder here and there, mostly from Mr. Stark, but it didn’t seem to come up much otherwise.

He made a note to research later about whether or not humans required physical contact, and if so, to what extent. His own bias told him that they likely did, because even he liked it.

“Perhaps,” He said simply, offering her a small smile. They never seemed to fight, which was a good thing, but they often got into heated discussions. She was an argumentative person, Vision had noticed, and it thrilled him. Wanda had always fought for what she believed in, even before she had powers. It was admirable.

Wanda sighed. She knew that Vision’s thoughts on the matter were more complicated and he didn’t feel like discussing it now—she could read him like a book. But it was fair, she told herself, it was his life, and his fight to have, if he would choose it.

But what if I want to fight for him? The thought lingered in her mind as she stared at him. The thought made her face hot, and she lowered her head, removing her hand from his chest.

He didn’t let his disappointment show, but he could certainly feel it.

“I’m curious about your choice of blonde hair,” She stated, changing the subject easily. Wanda had never given much thought to what Vision would look like if he were human, but she liked it(not as much as she liked the way he normally look, though)

She blinked and his hair was suddenly brown, and he said, “I tried a few colors, but Mr. Stark advised me to go with blonde. I didn’t quite understand why the color mattered.”

She crinkled her nose and giggled, brining a hand up to feel his hair. It felt just as real as her own.

“Well, certain hair colors look better with facial structure, eye color...” She trailed off, pulling her hand away, “Your eyes are naturally blue, so they tend to look better with lighter colored hair—or at least, that’s usually what people think.”

He blinked, looking down at her, and spoke quietly, “What do you think?”

Wanda looked up at him, their eyes connecting. Making eye contact with Vision always made her feel a little bit like she was floating. She really could get lost in his eyes, as cheesy as it sounded.

“I like the way you normally look,” She said honestly, “But if we’re only talking about the disguise, then I’m partial to the blonde.”

He nodded, and in another blink of an eye, his hair turned to back to blonde. 

Wanda remembered when she was still at the compound that he’d come up with the idea of a disguise, but hadn’t perfected it. Keeping your whole body covered was much different than just a suit and cape, she guessed. 

But now, she was noticing, that the human clothes also looked good on his form. He was wearing a high-neck sweater and dress pants. 

“Who helped you shop for clothes?” Wanda asked. 

“Miss Potts ordered some clothes for me. I’ve found that keeping the,” He paused, gesturing to himself, “human disguise on is much easier when I don’t have to worry about creating the clothes, as well.”

“So these are real?” She asked, placing a hand on his collar, feeling the soft knit fabric beneath his skin. 

“Yes,” He said. Her hand was so close to his neck, and he got a warning that his internal temperature was rising, and he manually stopped it, curious as to what it was. Another thing to research. 

“It’s a good style,” She said, smiling at him. 

Style and fashion were things that still puzzled him, but he was glad that she seemed to like it. People seemed to put so much stock into what other people thought of the way they dressed.

He understood feeling judged, though—everyone seemed to have an opinion on his mere existence, and usually they were not good ones.

“How is Captain Rogers? And everyone else? Miss Romanov sounded well,” Vision said suddenly. He’d meant to last time, but hadn’t gotten the chance in his rush to leave.

Wanda’s eyebrow quirked up, curious about the subject change, but she answered, “They’re all doing as good as can be expected, I suppose... I think we all hoped for a different outcome, but we knew this was possible. Do you know how Scott and Clint are doing?”

Scott and Clint’s surrender had been a big blow to their team, but everyone understood. They had families who didn’t deserve the scrutiny and interogation for them being on the run. The rest of them on the run—Steve, Nat, Sam, herself... Had no one left but each other to worry about.

“They are well. Mr. Stark gets regular updates,” Vision said, and Wanda couldn’t help the small scoff that left her mouth.

“I’m sure he does,” She said, shaking her head and stepping back, leaning against the doorframe.

Vision looked at her for a moment, then said, “Wanda.”

“Yes?” She asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Do you still have the same level of distaste for Mr. Stark as you did when you first joined the team?” He asked, and Wanda sighed.

Whatever remained of J.A.R.V.I.S seemed to give him difficulty referring to Mr. Stark as anything but Tony—or at least, that’s what Wanda thought. She also thought that Vision gave him far too much credit.

“No,” She said, looking at him, “I might dislike him more now.”

Vision sighed, bringing a hand up to forehead, rubbing it. He had never been one to be easily frustrated, but Wanda always brought out the strongest emotions in him—both negative and positive.

“He just did what he thought was right,” Vision said, looking at her with a rarely unreadable expression.

“And it ended with me in a straightjacket,” Wanda said, “I recognize that the entire thing was my fault, but-”

“It would’ve happened with one of us eventually,” He interrupted her, holding up a hand. The last thing he wanted her to do was blame herself. He truly believed that a public incident like that was inevitable.

“You’re probably right,” Wanda conceded, although she also knew that the likelihood of it being her was always higher, since most of the other Avengers did not have the same power that she did, “But that doesn’t mean that the Accords were the right way to go about it.”

“I failed to see anyone else propose an alternative,” Vision said, and if Wanda didn’t know better she would say she detected a bit of sass in his tone. He was spending too much time with Tony.

“How about anything that doesn’t require me to be tracked at all times? And to be categorized as a signifigant threat based on my powers alone?” She argued, her voice raising slightly, “Somewhere out there, they’re building a prison cell just for me. And I’ll die before they ever get a chance to put me in it.”

Her eyes flashed red for a second, and she took a breath, trying to remain calm. She never did have a very good hold on her temper.

“They’re doing the same for me,” Vision said.

“And you think that’s okay?” She asked angrily. 

“I think that I don’t have a choice,” He said, and she deflated, her shoulders dropping as he continued to explain, “If you or Captain Rogers or anyone else were caught, you would be imprisoned for a time. If I were breaking the law and caught... I am sure they would have no qualms deactivating and dissecting me.”

“We would protect you,” She said, suddenly feeling guilty at the great risk he was taking just to see her. She had never been one to shy away from a fight, and this was one that she knew if they ever faced, she would do anything to win.

It seems as if they both had valid sides, as much as she hated to admit it. 

“We can agree to disagree,” Wanda said, then began walking to the living room as she quietly added, “Even though I’m right.”

“I heard that,” Vision noted, following her.

-

“Do you understand French?” Vision asked her later.

After their heated discussion, they’d sat on the couch together and Wanda had turned on the TV. It only caught a few local channels, but one was playing an old black and white movie called _L'atalante_. It was in black and white, and they’d both settled into the couch, Wanda laying her head on Vision’s shoulder, one hand lying on his arm(a fact that he was all too aware of).

“No,” Wanda said. It wasn’t even in the same language family as her own native tongue, so while she picked up a word here and there, it overall sounded like nonsense to her.

Vision chuckled, looking down at her, “How could you possibly be enjoying the movie, then? We could do something else.”

Wanda admitted that while they probably should do something more important with their time, she was enjoying herself, “No, I like this movie. I don’t have to understand them to know what it’s about. Most communication is physical.”

Vision tilted his head with a furrowed brow, wondering if that was completely true. he had more trouble than most when it came to picking up on social cues and physical cues, unless something was outright told to him.

“I suppose...” He said.

“See, like the scene earlier,” She pointed to the TV, “Where he was throwing plates and waving and speaking loudly, so obviously he was mad, right?”  
“Yes, that makes sense,” Vision said. He missed their movie nights and discussions about films and their meanings. They’d never watched one this old, but he was enjoying it.

Wanda shifted, pulling legs up on the couch and moving closer to Vision. He felt as if his synthetic heart might burst in his chest.

In the movie, the main character jumped into the water, and Wanda was suddenly reminded of something.

“Hey, Vizh, do you want to see something?”

-

The creek was moving at a steady pace, filled with tiny fish and various species of frogs and other amphibians. Plants were growing all over the place; up tree trunks and into the stream, almost seeming to reach up for the sun.

And the steady flow of the stream created a noise that was pleasing to his ears. He saw Wanda sit down next to the stream, and she grabbed his hand and tugged him down. he sat next to her, his long legs splayed out in front of them.

“It’s beautiful,” He said. He’d seen massive skyscrapers and stunning skylines, but this was different than any of that.

He reached forward and put the tips of his finger in the water, and was surprised to find how cold it was.

There was a loud ribbit and something jumped into his line of sight and landed on his hand. His eyes went wide with shock, and he glanced at Wanda, who was giggling.

“I think Mister Froggy here likes you,” She said, and his face spread into a slight smile.

“You’ve named it?” Vision asked curiously, his eyes still on the little green amphibian, whose throat currently seemed to be pulsating.

“Sure,” Wanda said, shrugging.

Humans tended to bond with things very easily. Mr. Stark had named J.A.R.V.I.S. after his family’s butler, and had developed an attatchement to the A.I., who had no emotions before being combined with Ultron to make Vision. Naming something only solidified the bond.

The frog let out another ribbit before jumping away onto a rock, and Visoin pulled his hand from the creek, looking at it inquisitively.

“I wonder why he chose to sit on my hand,” He mused aloud.

“He could probably sense that you’re a good person. They say animals are good judges of character,” Wanda said, and Vision was surprised to hear this.

“How would they know that?” He asked seriously, and she chuckled, throwing up her hands playfully.

“Maybe they can see our souls,” She said, raising an eyebrow.

“You believe I have one?” He asked after a small pause. He wasn’t religious, he was a man and a being of science. The spirituality of humans was another thing that always puzzled him.

“I _know_ you do,” She replied earnestly.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vision and Tony talk philosophy, while Wanda faces a new problem.

Wanda sat on the couch curled up, cradling a cup of tea as she watched a movie. The French language was still a complete mystery to her, but she liked listening to it.

Only one more day, she told herself. Tomorrow morning Vision would visit, and he’d get to stay overnight. It sounded ridiculous, like a teenaged sleepover, but she was bursting with excitement. His visits, although not as frequent as she would like, were a beacon of light for her.

She’d never felt this way about anyone else before. Pietro had been her best friend, and while she might consider Vision the same now, it was... different. Whenever she was alone with him, it felt like the air in the room was electrified with something that was just quite out of reach.

Wanda’s thoughts were interupted with a loud beeping noise that came for her watch, and she jumped, a bit of tea spilling on her shirt.

“Oh, _muie_ ,” She cursed in her native tongue, quickly putting her tea down on the coffe table and using the blanket to blot at her shirt. She glanced down at her watch and noticed Natasha’s face blinking on the watch face,

She tapped it and instantly heard Nat’s voice, “Pack your bags.”

Wanda’s heart dropped, and she sat up straighter, her voice low, “What?”

“We think you may have been compromised. My Interpol contact said that there’s chatter about a superpowered individual in France,” Nat’s voice sounded rushed. 

Wanda got up and headed to the bedroom, grabbing her to-go bad, which was packed at all time, “How do they know?”

The spy sighed, “I don’t know, kid, but now’s not the time to talk about it. Someone’s gonna pick you up in a few minutes. The car’s a black Volkswagen Polo, and the driver’s gonna take you to a train station in Stratsbourg, and you’ll take a few trains to Oskarshamn, Sweden, and then a ferry to Visby, got it?”

Wanda’s mind was reeling as she tried to retain all the information. All the foreign words were jumbling up in her head, and she stuttered out, “I-I guess?”

“He’ll give you the train tickets and the ferry tickets along with some cash. Just pay attention to what time you have to be on what train. You’ll get further instructions in Visby,” Natasha said, sounding a little impatient. 

“Okay,” Wanda replied, taking a deep breath, “I got it.”

Natasha ended the call without another word, and Wanda rolled her eyes, throwing a few spare things in the bag before zipping it up and throwing it over her shoulder. 

She was headed out of her room and back into the living room when she suddenly froze, realizing that Vision was going to be here, tomorrow, and she wasn’t. 

She ran to the book shelf and scrambled to find a notebook of some kind before just settling on an old book, grimacing before ripping out the front page. 

She reached in her backpack and uncapped the pen with her teeth scribbling a note quickly. She heard a honk outside and wrote faster, her hand shaking. 

Once she was satisfied Wanda looked over the bookshelf, then quickly folded the note and shoved it back in the book, and put the book on the coffee table before rushing out, sadness filling her at the idea of leaving behind the peaceful cottage. 

She got into the car and looked at the man. He handed her a handful of cash and a few train tickets without saying a word. She took them, shoving them into her jacket pocket. 

He looked her over, and shook his head slightly before reaching in the passenger seat and grabbing something, tossing it back to her. He started the car and took off as she looked down at the piece of fabric. 

“Cover your hair. And maybe dye it a less bright color,” He said, glancing at her in the rear view mirror before speeding up. 

She put the beanie on her head and nodded, fully intending to ignore him. She liked the orange hair

It seemed like this was her life now, and she hated it. 

But she made her bed. Now she had to lie in it. 

-

Nearly 4,000 miles away, Vision was reading a book, deep in thought, when he became aware of someone else in the room. 

“Why do you read? I know you can just download everything that’s in the book,” Mr. Stark said as he reaped up into a cabinet to grab a mug.

“I find that I rather like the... Practice of reading,” Vision said, closing the book and sitting up to look at Mr. Stark as the billionaire began to make coffee.

Vision had been alive for a short amount of time, at least when you quantified it, and there were still so many human practices and social customs that escaped him. 

“Your eyes are about to cross, what are you thinking about?” Mr. Stark spoke up, and Vision looked at him.

“Do you think lying is immoral?” Vision asked him, and Mr. Stark sighed, leaning against the cabinets as he crossed his arms.

He had seen in movies and read in novels that humans often lied to each other. A lot of them seemed to have no great moral qualms about it. He’d even had friends that did it—Mr. Stark had told him of Captain Rogers’s deception about the deaths of Howard and Maria Stark.

He’d always thought about Captain Rogers as a good man, a model for the rest of humanity. But if he was willing to lie, then what did that mean for everyone else?

The question had been on his mind the past few weeks, since he had begun frequent rendezvous with Wanda. He told Mr. Stark that he found his interest in the world growing(which was true), and that he wanted to spend time exploring it himself.

Maybe it was less of a lie, and more of a fib. He’d been going over the difference in his head, and the latter seemed to be a lie, just an unimportant one. But did that make it any better?

“Existential crisis? Isn’t it a little early for this?” His surrogate father asked, and Vision looked at him blankly.

“No, it’s 9:23 am,” He said, and Mr. Stark threw his hands up.

“It’s a metaph-” He paused, seeing the slight amusement on Vision’s face, then raised his eyebrows, “Was that a... joke?”

“Only if it was funny,” Vision replied seriously. He had been doing more research on conversation methods. He would be horribly embarrassed if someone ever managed to read his internal search history _(how to impress someone, how to carry a conversation, why do I get distracted when talking to my friend)_. Humans seemed to flock to google with all sorts of questions, some quite odd, so he found himself doing the same.

His research had told him that people like jokes, and those who are funny are usually more likely to be thought of positively by their peers, as long as the joke was appropriate for the social setting and group.

“It wasn’t,” Tony said, and Vision frowned as he continued, “But we’ll work on it! Why are you suddenly making jokes?”

The synthetic man sat up, trying to seem as casual as possible. If he were human, he was sure that he would begin sweating right now, as humans did when they lied. He shrugged, simply stating, “Trying to be more effective in conversation, sir.”

To Tony, it looked like Vision had simply lifted his shoulders to his jaw and dropped them back down intentionally—it was all too stiff, even for an... android? Robot? He really needed to come up with a term.

Tony impatiently tapped his hand on the counter, the coffeemaker taking too long for his liking. His mind was whirring, though, and he narrowed his eyes as he hopped up on the counter, sitting down as he looked at his pseudo-son.

“Why are you asking about lying, Vision?” He asked, and he could see the other man shift slightly, his gaze faltering for just a second.

“Looking to understand humans more,” Vision said, brining a hand up to his chin. That was partially true—humans were complex creatures, and while he was close(almost painfully so) to being one of them, he simply wasn’t, and never would be. But humans were the closest creature to himself, so he looked to them for nearly everything.

“Humans will almost always look out for their own self-interest,” Tony said, shrugging, then grabbing his now-filled cup of coffee and taking a sip, “Lying is part of that.”

Vision nodded, and held up a hand, “But is it immoral?”

Tony laughed, “I’m not the person to ask. I’ve never been considered a great example of what is and isn’t moral.”

Vision let out an involuntary sigh, leaning forward. Another thing to research.

Tony seemed to take pity on him, though, and started with, “Look...” He took another sip of coffee and hopped off the counter, walking closer, “People usually teach kids that lying is bad, but as you get older, things get more complicated. Sometimes you lie to protect yourself, or to protect someone else.”

Vision took in the information and nodded slowly, noting internally that there must be a lot of interesting philosophical debate on the topic.

“Are you planning on lying to someone?” Tony added, taking another sip as he raised his eyebrows.

“No,” Vision lied as he stood up, “Not at all, sir.”

He began walking out of the room, but turned around to look at Mr. Stark, “By the way, just to remind you sir, I am leaving tomorrow for Iceland and will not return until Thursday.”

A whole 27 hours, just for him and Wanda. He had begun to feel like the dynamics of their relationship were changing, slowly, but still steadily moving forward. He could not identify where it was going(or how they would get there), but he had an idea.

More of a dream, perhaps. Unlikely to come to fruition.

Mr. Stark nodded, waving him off, “I got it, Blade Runner.”

Vision smiled, understanding the reference only because he had to look it up last time Mr. Stark called him that. He exited the room, eager to begin packing.

“Iceland,” Tony said, shaking his head. He had an inkling that not only was his robot son not going to Iceland, but wherever he was going, it was unlikely that he was going to be alone.

—

The next morning at 8:56 am, Vision knocked on the door of the French cottage and waited patiently, unable to keep a smile off of his face.

He was holding a small bag—not that it was necessary for him to bring clothes, but he had brought an outfit, just in case. And he had a gift for Wanda as well, and the mere idea of it made him feel like his synthetic heart was speeding up with anxiety.

No one came to the door, and he knocked again, his concern growing. When he was once again met with silence, the grasped the doorknob and pushed forward, hard, and was met with very little resistance as the door busted open. He was thankful that the door was old.

There was a teapot on the stove, and he approached it, placing his hand on it. It was cold, but still had liquid inside. Had she been making tea?

He walked through the kitchen into the living room, glancing at the TV, which was still on. A blanket was thrown messily on the couch, which was not out of character for Wanda, but she usually folded it before she went to sleep.

He walked closer and noticed a book on the coffee table, Le Comte de Monte-Cristo. The Count of Monte Cristo. If it was in English, then it wouldn’t have stood out to him, given that Wanda liked to read. But she didn’t speak French.

He reached down and grabbed the book carefully, opening it. A page nearly fell out, and he caught it, noticing handwriting. He turned it over, his eyes scanning the words.

_‘Vizh, I’ll Sea you soon, don’t worry Because of me,_

_Yours,  
wanda’_

It was her handwriting—a messy scrawl that he’d heard people comment was nearly unintelligible, which would usually be met with a comment from Wanda about English being ‘too clunky’ and hard to write.

The phrase was nearly nonsense, but perhaps she’d made multiple errors because English wasn’t her native language. ‘Sea’ was a body of water, and this phrase must have been referring to sight, as in ‘see’. Unless she meant an entirely different phrase, and the word was lost to her? And the flow of the sentence was off, the phrase ‘because of’ seemed to be the wrong proposition to use in that context.

His anxiety was growing by the second. His throat felt too tight despite the fact that it had been created perfectly. His hands were involuntarily trembling a little, and he realized that he was also feeling fear.

Wanda was gone, and he had no idea where she was. Had she been arrested?

He stared at the phrase, saying it over and over in his head, but part of his brainpower seemed to have been allocated with his permission to worrying and running simulations on the possibity of worst-case scenarios.

He looked back down at the note, wondering why she chose to capitalize certain letters, and it began piecing together in his head.

A quick online search done with his mind(a unique power he’d retained from J.A.R.V.I.S.) confirmed his suspicions, and he stuffed the note in his pocket, running from the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is probably my favorite I’ve written(I have up to chapter 7 pretty much done), so I hope you guys like it! Let me know what you think! I’m **LOVING** the feedback! <3


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wanda arrives in a new place, but someone’s not far behind...

Wanda arrived in Visby, slightly seasick from the ferry ride. She grabbed onto a post to steady herself. She’d never been on a boat in her life, and she wasn’t sure if she ever wanted to go on one again.

It was a big town, there were people all around her, but no one gave her a second glance. The town’s buildings were old—like something she might see in a medieval movie or television show. It was beautiful. The old worn down bricks reminded her of Sokovia, and she heart lurched at the thought of her now-decimated homeland.

She took a deep breath and one she was sure she’d steadied herself, she walked forward, unsure exactly where she was going. The man who picked her up in car hadn’t provided any further answers, so she felt like she was at a loss.

She walked down the streets, looking at all the buildings and avoiding making eye contact with anyone. It didn’t feel smart to be in such a populated place, but what did she know?

A cafe caught her eye, and her stomach growled, reminding her of how hungry she was. The cash in her pocket made her feel like even more of a target.

She walked in, and was greeted in a foreign language, the woman waving towards some cafe tables. Wanda nodded wordlessly, walking towards one and sitting down, putting her bag in another chair. The menu was already on the table, and thankfully, it included some pictures.

Something called raggmunk stuck out to her—it looked like a latke covered in jam. Latkes always reminded her of home, because her mother made the best ones. Her heart felt heavy at the reminder of her mother. So much time alone allowed her too much time to think of all the things she had lost.

She ordered that, and it couldn’t have been more than 10 minutes when her food was placed in front of her, along with a glass of water. She dug in, feeling slightly ravenous.

Someone suddenly sat across from her as she ate, and Wanda jumped, her nervous energy nearly palpable.

“Calm down,” Natasha said, and Wanda covered her mouth as she swallowed, breathing a sigh of relief.

“What are you doing here?” Wanda asked, putting her fork down. Natasha raised an eyebrow, looking at her teammate.

“Just figured that you were probably getting lonely,” The spy said, giving her a tentative smile, “This type of life—it’s not for everyone. And it’s not that you signed up for when you became an Avenger.”

“I knew what I was getting into when I left the compund with Clint,” Wanda defended herself, not wanting to be seen as a child. She wasn’t collateral damage, she chose this side for a reason.

“I wasn’t insulting you. It’s not a bad thing that you’re not suited for this,” Natasha said, leaning back in her chair. She seemed casual, but Wanda knew better. Nat was watching everything and everyone around them.

“Are you staying?” Wanda changed the subject, curious. While she thought it might be nice to spend time with Nat, she didn’t know what she would do if Vision showed up. 

She didn’t think her teammates would be mad, but she wasn’t ready for anyone to know. It wasn’t anyone else’s business.

“Not this time, I have work to do. I just wanted to check on you,” Natasha said, “but the next place, probably so.”

“Work? Anything I can help with?” Wanda asked, and Nat shook her head.

“No, no, nothing Avengers related. Personal stuff,” She gave a tight smile, looking slightly uncomfortable.

Wanda realized with a start that she knew nothing about Natasha’s personal life—she didn’t even know she _had_ one, to be honest. But she was never the type to pry, so she didn’t ask any questions.

“Good luck with that,” Wanda said honestly, and Nat nodded, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a pair of keys, slipping them to her. 

“Right on the edge of town there’s an old S.H.I.E.L.D. safehouse that you’re gonna stay at for the next month or so, it’s near the airport,” She explained, 

Wanda nodded, grabbing the keys and slipping them in her pocket, her fingers brushing the cash, “I’ll find it.”

“You’re gonna walk?” Nat asked, surprised.

“I’ve been stuck in a various trains for nearly 40 hours. Yes, I’m going to walk,” Wanda said, offering a small smile. She would be happy if she never had to ride or see a train again in her life.

“Okay, well... I’ll see you soon,” Natasha said, standing up. Wanda stood up as well, and they stood in front of each other for a few seconds before Wanda quickly wrapped her arms around the spy.

Natasha tensed up, but relaxed quickly and hugged her back. They said their goodbyes, and Wanda finished her almost-latke, comptemplating her new temporary home and wondering about Vision. Had he figured out her location yet? And if he had, did he arrive before her and think, perhaps, that she wasn’t there?

Her stress levels began to rise, so she took a sip of water and stood up, throwing some money on the table. A walk would help clear her mind, right?

——

Later that night, Wanda began to feel like she was settling in. She’d looked over the place and it seemed fairly typical—two bedrooms, a bathroom, living room, kitchen—it had modern amenities, like a washer and dryer, which was one upgrade from the last place. 

Being right next to the airport was annoying—but luckily it didn’t seem too busy, so the noises were few and far between. 

A hot shower and a fresh set of clothes had gone a long way in helping her feel better. Now, she clicked on the TV and laid back on the couch, settling in for a night of relaxing and trying to combat her growing anxiety. 

Within minutes, completely by accident, she’d fallen asleep. Her mouth was open and she was snoring quietly, the TV remote sitting in her now-limp hand. The rest was much needed. 

Outside the house, however, someone else had just arrived. 

He had decoded the clues quickly and realized that in her note, she’d spelled out the word Visby with the first letter of every word. And ‘sea’ was another hint—for this small island sat in the Baltic Sea. 

It was a little obvious, perhaps, but he thought that she was smarter than people gave her credit for. 

After her note, he’d taken control of one of Mr. Stark’s satellites and blocked it from the rest, searching for her energy signature and narrowing it to this town. 

The only problem he’d encountered was Mr. Stark, ever-curious and prying into why he was home early. 

Vision had lied and said that he’d forgotten something he’d wanted to bring. 

Mr. Stark had, of course, noticed that Vision was a terrible liar. His vibranium teammate was, at his core, too good to lie. But he didn’t point it out, deciding to trust Vision. 

Vision knocked on the door, and when he heard no answer his heart sped up, reminded of the panic he felt when she didn’t answer last time. He was calmer now, though, and phased through the door. 

He had learned that, when it came to her, he found himself distracted and more likely to act rash. But it wasn’t her fault. 

The first thing he heard was the TV, which was playing a Swedish sitcom on a low volume. The second was the quiet snore that sounded a bit like a whistle. 

A smile appeared on his face as he rounded the corner from the entryway and spotted Wanda passed out on the couch, looking exhausted. 

She was in a slight state of undress—only wearing a large t-shirt and underwear, and he immediately averted his eyes, feeling as if he would blush if he could. 

Vision’s put his hands together and tried to think of what to do. He noticed a quilt on a rocking chair next to the TV, and grabbed it, covering Wanda with it. 

He considered moving her to a bedroom, and decided that it would likely be the best idea. There was a fair chance(67.9%) that she would end up with a sore back if she slept in her current position. 

He lowered his density enough to where he could still grab her, but she would barely feel it, and lifted her easily. Vision was reminded of the time he had lifted her this same way, only that time it was to save her from Ultron. Or, more accurately, to save her from herself. 

He made sure his grip was secure as she continued snoring, fully oblivious, and walked into the hallway. He chose the first room he saw and was glad to find that it was likely the one she chose, considering her bag was at the foot of the bed. 

Vision moved the covers with one hand and gently laid her down, taking the small quilt away and covering her with the full blanket. 

She was entirely undisturbed and he felt accomplished for that fact. He took a moment to look at her—even though she looked exhausted, she also looked beautiful. 

The thought came so easily to the front of his mind that it startled him. He had had thoughts about Wanda’s beauty(both internal and external) before, but usually they weren’t so casual—being around her more intimately was starting to break down the friendly barrier he’d tried to force up.

She was a human, and a strong and fierce one at that. He was a marvel of the capabilities of science, but not quite a man. He had all the parts, but he could never offer her the things that real men could. He was steadfast in that thought, and although he may secretly wonder what it would be like for their friendship to be more, he would never let it go there.

Vision left the room, and settled in the corner of the living room, floating with his eyes closed. It was the closest he could get to sleep without fully shutting down. 

In his mind’s eye he saw her, imagined how she looked when she smiled or laughed. He liked it when she did that. 

He, like Wanda, felt fully at peace. 

Until a few hours later, when the screaming started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The 2020 Black Widow movie allegedly takes place between Civil War and Infinity War, so that’s what Natasha’s up to.
> 
> ( https://loveisforsouls-notbodies.tumblr.com/ ) Follow me on Tumblr, and as always, thanks for the comments and the kudos! <3


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wanda sees a ghost, and Vision discovers something new.

She was home again. 

In her heart of hearts, her deepest wish was to be home again with her brother. She would trade anything to have that. 

And now it seems that she got it. 

“What’s wrong?” Pietro asked, quirking his brow, “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

He was walking easily and talking up a storm, as if nothing had ever happened. As if he wasn’t gone. 

“I...” She said, at a loss for words. Her hands were limp at her side, and her voice was shaking, “You’re dead.”

“What?” He asked, chuckling, “That’s not a very funny joke. I could teach you how to be funny, little sister, if—“

He stopped, his hand rising to his abdomen. Bright red blood seeped through his shirt, and his hand touched it, as if he were questioning its existence. 

“Pietro!” She yelled, rushing towards him. She shouldn’t have mentioned it, that’s why this happened, it was her fault again. He started to collapse and Wanda tried to catch him, but the second they touched, he vanished. She collapsed onto the ground where he would have. 

She could feel the tears on her face, the salt from them on her lips. It’d been a long time since she allowed herself to cry over her brother like this.   
She was gasping and crying so hard she thought she might pass out. 

Wanda woke with a start, and realized that her throat hurt. She brought up a hand to her throat, puzzled and trying to catch her breath. 

“Wanda?” Someone asked, and she jumped, looking up. Her former teammate was standing near the edge of the bed, his blue eyes wide with concern. 

“Vizh? What are you-“ She started to ask, sitting up, then realized she was in a bed, “Where-How-“

“Calm down,” He said gently, reaching out and touching her hand. She seemed panicked. Once he heard her scream, he was in her room within seconds prepared to fight. But she was all alone, so he could easily deduce what happened. 

“I arrived when you were sleeping. I moved you to the bed approximately 6 hours and 47 minutes ago. It seems that you had a nightmare,” He explained. 

His hand on top of hers was comforting, and she turned her hand up, so their palms were pressed together. He had a perfectly normal body temperature, but there was still a slight chill to his vibranium skin that she liked. 

“I... I did,” She said, struggling to remember what happened. She was still trying to calm down, so she spoke slowly, “I don’t remember what happened, but I think Pietro was there...”

Vision brought a hand up to her face, wiping the nearly-dried tears from her cheeks. 

“It’s quite common for people going through grief to see their loved ones manifest in dreams,” Vision explained gently, and she nodded, her heart falling. 

She could only get bits and pieces back, a picture in her mind’s eye of her brother smiling st her in amusement. 

Her brother had seemed so real. The way he spoke, the expressions he had... It was as if he was alive again. But she knew him better than anyone, so it made sense that, in her mind was the closest thing to alive that he would ever be again. 

A fresh set of tears came forward, and she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to fight them off. 

“It’s okay,” Vision said, moving his hand from hers to her shoulder. She took that as an invitation and buried her head in his shoulder, small sobs wracking her body. 

He wasn’t fully aware of the intricacies of humanity—he could do research(and he did), but to see it in person was something else entirely. Grief truly took a lifetime of healing. 

And he would help her however he could, no matter what happened. He wrapped his arms around her, bringing one hand up to stroke her hair gently. 

He thought about offering words of comfort, but wasn’t sure how comforting they’d actually be. He’d never truly experienced loss—Pietro was his team member as well, of course, but he was newly born then and honestly hadn’t formed an attachment to the speedster. 

He hadn’t really formed an attachment to anyone until after Ultron, when her friendship with Wanda blossomed. He cherished his other teammates, but there was always something that stood out about her. 

Wanda pulled away from him just enough to make eye contact as she wiped tears from her eyes. They were so close to each other that she could feel his breath on her face. 

Her eyes flickered down to his lips, then back up again. She had never noticed that he had little flecks of grey in his eyes. 

“I’m sorry, I must look like a mess,” She said quietly. 

“No, quite the contrary,” Vision replies easily, sounding a little breathless—which was amusing, given the fact that he technically did not require breathing to survive. 

She opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it, glancing down, “I’m glad you’re here, Vizh. Not just because I’m upset, but because I like having you around.”

I don’t know what I’d do without you, The thought lingered in her mind, sudden but not surprising to her. 

“I don’t know what I’d do without you either,” Vision spike honestly, and her eyes widened. 

“Vision... I don’t think I said that out loud,” Wanda said carefully, looking up at the mind stone on his forehead. 

A puzzled look cane across his face, and he reached up to press a finger gently to the stone. 

Wanda was suddenly nervous—if he was about to hear her thoughts now, did that mean that he could hear all of them? Things were going to get awkward very quickly. 

“I think...” He started, pulling away, “You accidentally broadcasted your thought to me, out of an emotional place. And the stone, being made of the same energy, picked it up.”

“Like a radio frequency?” She asked, and her gave her a small smile and nodded. Wanda pressed her lips together and looked at him, then up at the stone. 

She was out of practice with mental manipulation. Ever since joining the Avengers she’d staunchly refused to do it, and her teammates never pushed her. 

Trying to get into his mind now was slightly frustrating, so she took a breath and reminded herself that she wasn’t going deep, just to the very surface. 

Vizh? She asked, and he blinked. Even in his mind her voice had its own tone and inflection. It truly was a marvel. 

“I heard that,” He said, and she suddenly smiled. It was small and didn’t reach her eyes, but it was there. 

“Do you think you could speak back to me?” Wanda asked, and he didn’t respond at first, contemplating. 

He was sure he could, but the idea of it posed a bigger question; What was this stone capable of? It seemed to be more powerful and complex than before. 

“It’s likely,” He said, then looked at her, imagining that he was placing a thought it her mind. Her expression didn’t change, and he tried again. 

“Vizh, you look like you’re going to give yourself a stroke,” She said, laughing. His face had pinched up in thought and concentration, and it tickled her. 

“Apologies,” Vision said bashfully, ducking his head. Maybe it would take more practice to harness the stone. 

He was reminded of something he once told her about it; ‘one day I may even control it’... It didn’t seem like today was that day. 

“Just relax,” Wanda started, and shifted to put both of her hands on his shoulders, “Take a deep breath, close your eyes, and try to clear your head. After that, try to imagine that you have a thought, and that you speak it aloud in my direction—except, don’t speak it, just, sort of, send it.”

Wanda was proud of herself for being a good teacher. When she was learning to use her powers, the methods of how she was taught were much less friendly. However, sending messages to Vision was just like putting a thought in someone’s head, except it was much easier and had no weight behind it. 

“Alright,” He said, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. He did exactly as she said, and Wanda could feel a whisper in her mind, just barely discernible.

“Did... Did you say my name?” She asked, looking at him. He opened his eyes and nodded, and she smiled, explaining, “I could hear it—it was low, but there.”

Vision thought it was incredible that because of the stone in his head, he was still learning about himself and his powers. And the potential of being able to speak solely through their minds when fighting together—

His thought was cut off as soon as it came. It was unlikely that the two of them would ever be able to fight on the same side again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m trying to decide if this fic will be:
> 
> A) Just the two years between CW and IW.  
> B) An Inifity War fix-it.  
> C) An Infinity War fix it that will go fully off the rails by my also (sort of) leaning in a WandaVision direction.
> 
> It’ll probably be A with a fix-it sequel, but we’ll see! Sorry for the pause between chapters, and thanks so much for reading!


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